Rupture

“Oh, well, well. What do we have here?” An enforcer said as two more approached.

“We don’t know either,” Oliver politely informed as he and his sister kept their hands in the air.

“Oh. Hendricks,” The enforcer called the one to his right. “I never thought I would live to see a case of food waste.”

Hendricks nodded.

“Sir, please, there’s no way a pair of students could’ve afforded a box of french fries, and even so, to throw them on the floor after,” Oliver calmly excused.

“Then explain to me what happened, champ,” Enforcer number one said raising an eyebrow.

“I was walking with my sister when…” The sudden realization hit Oliver. Quenzie. He looked around to find no trace of the robot.

“I’m listening kid,” Enforcer number one urged taking Oliver out of his trance.

“So there’s this robot, its name is Quenzie,” Oliver said. “The french fries should be theirs.”

“That’s not a robot’s name,” Enforcer number three cut.

“Right! Quenzie’s real name is QNZ-17,” Oliver replied.

“There's not a robot registered to that name on the boat’s check-in system,” Enfoncer number one said. “And why would a robot have a box of french fries?”

“Yes, robots don’t eat!” Laughed Hendricks.

“There’s gotta be an error,” Oliver continued. “I saw it hidden in the luggage on our hoverjet back here.”

“Sure” Enforcer number one mumbled.

“You can check the recordings, please,” Oliver politely requested but desperation started creeping into his voice.

Enforcer number one quickly gestured on his GoMindfull in the search for the videos, he shook his head, “Sorry, we’re in a blind spot. Those won’t help you champ.”

“No, no!” Oliver responded, frowning. “As i told you these french fries are not ours but we can pick them back up, devour them and the problem would be solved. Right?”

Hendricks's stomach growled.

“But what’s this?” Enforcer number three said while crouching near the fries. “Is it your little girl?”

Alin rotundly nodded as enforcer number three picked up the necklace and showed it to his colleagues.

“They’re asking you a question girl!” Hendricks called out.

“No, it’s not mine,” Alin replied with a trembling voice.

“We found it alongside the fries,” Oliver assured.

Enforcer number one scanned the necklace and said, “There is a wary/report issued for this article…”

The three enforcers murmured among themselves. Enforcer number one approached the brothers.

“Who’s taking up the charges?” He questioned, crossing his arms.

“But we didn’t do it!” Alin annoyedly raised her voice. “It was that filthy robot!”

“Sure girl, and I’m going to open a farm tomorrow,” Hendricks laughed.

Oliver crouched to meet Alin’s eyes.

“Listen to me sis,” Oliver murmured as he hugged his sister and tried to sound as calm as he could. “Run to the Hsu’s, tell Nina everything. Alright?”

“But Oli, no! You didn’t do it!” Alin said as her voice broke word after word.

“They don’t care about that Alin,” Oliver continued. “I need you to be prepared for what’s going to happen.”

“No, Oli,” Alin sobbed.

“Now I need you to leave,” Oliver said letting go of his sister. She swayed on the tips of her toes. “Go!”

Oliver turned back to the enforcers after Alin turned right back into the inside of the vessel.

"994017 with the registered name of Oliver Greenwood. You have infringed your compliance agreement with Pi Corp. For the cases of burglary from the actionist’s Kim residence, and food waste, we have found you in full responsibility for the accusation. Hence you no longer align with our Values Policy. Furthermore, I, honorable HR subsecretary Francesca Conti in representation of our honorable CEO Dionysus Norrington, order your immediate dismissal from Pi Corporation and further exile from the Amelia or any installation of the grid." The hologram declared and sighed before scanning Oliver and mumbled, “What a shame.”

“I would like to request a revision of my case,” Oliver declared.

Conti raised an eyebrow and replied, “Understood, your request will be processed.”

A robot approached and printed a piece of paper. It extended it and shredded it in tiny pieces in front of Oliver’s face.

“Let’s better get moving, champ,” Enfoncer number one pushed Oliver, but Oliver’s weak knee succumbed to the avalanche of events that just occurred and fell to the floor.

“Oh! You’re resisting the process!” Hendricks claimed before hitting Oliver in the head with his baton and knocking him out.

…

“Who’s going to take care of them?” A lady questioned in the passageways of the Athena. “They entered with no passage, that baby is months old. Who’s going to look after them?”

“I can take care of myself and my sister!” Six-year-old Oliver replied as he carried the inconsolable baby.

“What am I supposed to do then? To throw them overboard” Captain Voss said, shrugging. “They’ll stay in the nursery until that little bud is able to see for his sister. Then you’ll look after them, Sugai?”

“Yes, sir!” Kazu replied as the woman helped Oliver with the baby.

…

"Come on Alin! Come on!" Oliver urged with his arms open as the chubby baby leaned on a bench to help stand up. “There you go! Waaa! You’re doing so good!

Baby Alin stepped once, stepped twice, and fell over Oliver’s arms tittering.

“You saw that Kazu!” Oliver called to the attentive man in the corner.

“She’ll get a hundred on Walking #!” Kazu joked.

…

“Run Alin, run!” Oliver and Kazu screamed from the stands as Alin sprinted in the last fifty meters of the track.

Alin crossed the finish line, she quickly looked at the board to check the results and jumped joyfully as she placed second.

“Let’s go!” Oliver shouted from the stands as he waved his flag with Alin’s baby face printed on it. “That’s my sister!”

…

“Run Alin, run,” Alin told herself as she sprinted through the dark passageways of the Amelia.

She jumped and dodged any obstacle in her way, climbing the stairs two at a time as she parcoured along the path she knew by heart. When he finally reached Hsu's corner, she abruptly halted when she saw a pair of enforcers standing at Hsu’s door.

“No way…” She muttered before a hand pulled her away from the corner.

Kazu gestured a sign of silence as Alin tried to break free from his grip.

“Kazu!” Alin murmured. “What are you doing? I must meet Officer Hsu right now!”

“Well, Ali-boo, you’ll have to wait,” Kazu replied. “Mr. Hsu is being destitute at this very moment.”

“No, no, no!” Alin started sobbing. “They have to help me with Oliver!”

Kazu opened his eyes wide like plates and grabbed Alin by the shoulders, making sure to get her attention.

“What happened with Oliver?” Kazu urged.

“The enforcers, Kazu, they took him away,” Alin wailed and collapsed crying over Kazu’s arms.

“Well, the Hsu’s won’t be of much help now,” Kazu said. “Alin, I need you to tell me everything about what happened.”

…

“Wake up sloth!” A voice said before a cold splash of seawater hit Oliver’s face.

Oliver jolted awake, his heart racing as he blinked to get rid of the seawater. The noon´s intense sun burned his skin as he recognized the Amelia sailing about five hundred meters away.

“I need to talk with Mr. Hsu,” Oliver murmured as he ran towards the gigantic vessel to abruptly stop when he saw nothing but the ocean between them.

“And I need to talk to my late husband,” A woman standing in the boat’s entranceway laughed.

Oliver turned around and around, looking at the cold surfaces of the rocking ship as his breathing became short. He suddenly remembered last night. Was this the place exiles were sent to?

“Welcome to the Windstail, lad,” The woman announced from the observation deck. “Whether you like it or not, today is your first day working as a ZH! Rejoice!”